Method and apparatus for sanding roadways

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a method for treating roadways with sand, salt, or other like material generally applied during snow or icing conditions. Preselected overpasses, which extend across the roadway, are provided with storage means for containing predetermined quantities of sand or the like. A truck is driven along the roadway and stopped beneath one of the preselected overpasses. The driver then activates a dispensing means to cause a quantity of sand to be transferred to the truck. The truck then applies the sand to the roadway until it arrives at another overpass similar to the one described, whereupon it again stops and repeats the process. During intervals between storms, the storage means may be replenished at any time with a new supply of sand or the like.

United States Patent- Sadwith [451 Apr. 11, 1972 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SANDING ROADWAYS Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr. [72] Inventor: Howard M. Sadwith 16 Fairway East,

Colts Neck, NJ. 07722 Attorney Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapm [22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1970 BS RACT [21] Appl. No.: 27,774 This disclosure relates to a method for treating roadways with sand, salt, or other like material generally applied during snow or icing conditions. Preselected overpasses, which extend [52] US. Cl ..222/1, 214/41, 2722/ 178 across the roadway are provided with storage means for com 2: taining predetermined quantities of sand or the like. A truck is 1 d o 4/4 42" 256/154 1 driven along the roadway and stopped beneath one of the I preselected overpasses. The driver then activates a dispensing 56 R f Ced means to cause a quantity of sand to be transferred to the l e flames truck. The truck then applies the sand to the roadway until it UNITED STATES PATENTS arrives at another overpass similar to the one described,

whereupon it again stops and repeats the process. During in- Maier ten/31s between storms, the stfll'fige means may be replenished 3,4 1 1 Felts ..2 l at any a new upply of sand or the Re2 6,275 10/1967 Stevens... ..222/178 X 3,429,418 2/1969 Fyrk ..222/410 X 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SANDING ROADWAYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION of sand or the like is maintained to service a number of different roadways. Since the truck is of a limited capacity, it can apply the sand for only a limited distance along the'roadway or highway to which it has been dispatched. Once the quantity of sand or the like has been depleted, the truck must return to the central storage location to be refilled. The procedure is then repeated.

The inefficiency of this procedure is particularly harmful and costly since, during the very period when the sand must be applied to the roadway, driving conditions are generally poorest, making it difficult for the truck to get to and from the designated roadway. These drawbacks are further compounded since the desirable period for applying the sand or the like to the roadway is during the very early period of the storm. Treatment not accomplished during the first inch or so of a snow fall, or during initial freezing periods, can not be made up by later treatment of the roadway. Such later treatment produces only a partial beneficial effect. The present system provides an effective means for overcoming these deficiences in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention disclosed herein, predetermined quantities of sand or the like are stored at a plurality of preselected overpasses which extend across each roadway to be treated. It is contemplated that the system disclosed herein will first be utilized on superhighways or other main arteries, although its application may ultimately be extended to secondary types of roads. During the application of the sand or the like to the roadway, a truck which is adapted to carry a predetermined quantity of sand is driven along the roadway and stopped beneath one of the overpasses containing a storing chamber. While the truck is stopped at the overpass, a dispensing means for the storage chamber is activated and a predetermined quantity of sand is transferred to the truck. The truck then proceeds along the roadway, applying the material thereto, until it reaches a subsequent overpass which is likewise provided with a supply of sand or the like. The process is then repeated until any particular length of the roadway has been appropriately treated.

The storage means may be maintained either along the edge of the overpass, or in other cases may be provided as an integral part of the overpass structure. Further, the storage means may be provided on adjacent sides of the overpass so that a truck traveling along the roadway in either direction may stop beneath the storage means and receive a predetermined quantity of sand.

The principal advantage accomplished by practice of the present invention is that a rapid and effective application may be accomplished during the critical period of a storm. Further, the system allows for the treating material to be disposed at points along the road to which it will be applied and, therefore, insures that an available supply is on hand whenrequired.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an effective means for sanding roadways and the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide the material to be applied to a roadway at convenient installations therealong.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent'from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a-perspective view of a roadway having a plurality of overpasses extending thereacross;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in cross-section, of an overpass containing a storage means disposed therein; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of an overpass containing storage means disposed along the sides thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, a roadway 10 is illustrated as having fourlanes with a divider strip in the middle separating trafiic going in each direction. It is noted that other types of roadways, such as secondary and undivided highways, may also be treated in accordance with the means disclosed herein.

. The roadway 10 is illustrated as containing a plurality of overpasses 20 which extend thereacross.

The overpass 20 is provided with a chamber 21 embedded therein, and containing a quantity of sand stored therein. When reference is made herein to sand, it is expressly understood that other materials may be substituted, such as salt or other types 'of chemicals which may be applied to alleviate snow or icingconditions prevailing along the roadway. The storage chamber 21 has a cover and opening 22 in its top so that it may be periodically filled with sand. At the bottom of the storage chamber 21 is an opening 23 through which the sand maybe dispensed. A cover 24 is provided which may be easily opened by manual means. It is noted that an appropriate valve may be substituted at the opening 23, which valve may be activated by a radio frequency or other electronic means provided in the truck. The opening 23 may also be provided with a keyed device which is available and capable of being activated only by authorized personel.

An alternate embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein a similar type of storage chamber 21a is provided along the edge of the overpass 20. This type of construction is readily adapted to existing overpasses, although the embedded type of storage means in FIG. 2 is preferred for new constructions.

During operation, the storage chamber 21 isfilled with a predetermined quantity of sand. This quantity and the capacity of the storage chamber are such as to provide, as a minimum, an amount sufficient to allow sanding of the roadway as far as the next overpass also provided with similar storage means. The quantity stored, however, will preferably be greater than this minimum. When the overpasses are grouped at close intervals, only preselected ones are to be provided with the sand storage chamber.

A truck 30, of the conventional type used for applying sand to roadways, is driven to an overpass containing a storage chamber 21. The truck 30 stops at the overpass with the dispensing opening 23 aligned with the sand carrying compartment provided on the truck. The driver may then by manual means open the cover 24 from the rear portion of the truck upon which he stands or may use a hook maintained on the truck. In lieu of manual opening of the chamber 21, electronic means may be substituted. The storage chamber dispensing opening 23 may be arranged to permit the truck 30 to stop at a point on or off the roadway, as desired, so as not to block traffic while loading, or so as not to get stuck beside the roadway while loading.

The truck is now filled with a predetermined quantity of sand and the driver travels along the roadway applying the same thereto. Since the storage chambers were filled with at least a predetermined minimum quantity of sand, the truck will have an amount of sand sufficient to cover the roadway up to the next succeeding overpass. The process is then repeated and the truck travels along the roadway again up to another method is clearly adapted for treating the roadway in each direction by appropriate selection and placement of sand storage chambers disposed at the preselected overpasses.

It is apparent that this system allows the truck to treat an entire length of highway without returning to any central storage station. This avoids undue delays heretofore encountered because of the poor driving conditions, while the truck traveled to and from the central storage station. The storage chambers contained in each of the overpasses may be replenished at any time, but preferably during intervals between storms when driving conditions are such that access thereto is rapid and convenient.

Although the foregoing description has been directed to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is noted that in view of the foregoing teaching, it will now be apparent to men skilled in the art that other variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. As one example, storage means could be provided at the ends of the overpass, some distance from the desired dispensing point, and delivery means, for example on a conveyor, contained along or within the overpass, could carry the sand or the like to the dispensing point.

What is claimed is l. A method of applying a material such as sand to a roadway which forms a portion of a local, state or federal like highway system provided for the movement of vehicular traffic such as ordinary passenger cars, the method comprising the steps of:

a. storing a quantity of the material at a plurality of overpasses which extend across the roadway, the overpasses being spaced at predetermined intervals along the roadway, each overpass forming a portion of a local, state or federal like highway system, the overpass being provided for the movement of vehicular traffic such as ordinary passenger cars across the roadway without interfering with the movement of vehicular traffic on the roadway, the material being stored at each overpass in at least one storage chamber carried thereby until it is needed for application to the roadway;

b. when the material is needed to be applied to the roadway, driving a truck along the roadway to a selected overpass of the plurality of overpasses;

c. filling the truck with an amount of the material stored in at least one of the storage chambers of the selected over- P d. applying the material to the roadway as the truck moves between the selected overpass and another overpass;

e. subsequently filling the truck with another amount of the material stored in the storage chamber of the other overpass; and applying the other amount of material to the roadway as the truck moves between the other overpass and still another overpass.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the storage chambers are filled with the quantity of the material during periods of good weather.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 and further including the subsequent step of repeating the process to apply material to the roadway along a substantial portion thereof. 

1. A method of applying a material such as sand to a roadway which forms a portion of a local, state or federal like highway system provided for the movement of vehicular traffic such as ordinary passenger cars, the method comprising the steps of: a. storing a quantity of the material at a plurality of overpasses which extend across the roadway, the overpasses being spaced at predetermined intervals along the roadway, each overpass forming a portion of a local, state or federal like highway system, the overpass being provided for the movement of vehicular traffic such as ordinary passenger cars across the roadway without interfering with the movement of vehicular traffic on the roadway, the material being stored at each overpass in at least one storage chamber carried thereby until it is needed for application to the roadway; b. when the material is needed to be applied to the roadway, driving a truck along the roadway to a selected overpass of the plurality of overpasses; c. filling the truck with an amount of the material stored in at least one of the storage chambers of the selected overpass; d. applying the material to the roadway as the truck moves between the selected overpass and another overpass; e. subsequently filling the truck with another amount of the material stored in the storage chamber of the other overpass; and f. applying the other amount of material to the roadway as the truck moves between the other overpass and still another overpass.
 2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the storage chambers are filled with the quantity of the material during periods of good weather.
 3. A method in accordance with claim 2 and further including the subsequent step of repeating the process to apply material to the roadway along a substantial portion thereof. 